# Stop Nail Polish Lifting



## Amby6912 (Feb 26, 2014)

So, I've asked countless nail techs and people who should know a lot about nails this question but no one seems to be able to help me. So, I figured the only place I haven't asked was here on MUT. So here goes:

Every single time I paint my nails or get them done in a salon, if normal polish is used, my polish begins to peel and lift up around the sides of the nails and cuticles. It doesn't chip. It peels. If my hands go near water, especially warm water, even with gloves my nails peel. This happens even with the stuff they use in the nail salons. I've used every brand base coat and polish and top coat I have ever seen in stores and heard of via sub boxes. Every one does the same thing. I have no clue what else I can do. I'm tired of my polish peeling around the edges within 12-24 hours. I've been told "get a better top coat". No one seems to understand that it's every base and top coat and every polish brand that exists. They all do this.  Every single one peels. 

So, does ANYONE know what I can do? I can't afford to constantly go get a gel manicure and I can't afford to get the LED light to do them myself. I also refuse to go back to acrylic nails because those tear up your nail bed and weaken the nail. I just stopped biting my nails in September/October and I'm too proud of this, of the fact my nail length is real, to do acrylic. I had someone mention a "bonding" type product that apparently helps polish bond to the nail? But when I asked the people at Sally Beauty they looked at me like I was a moron and told me there was no such product. So...is there such a product? I seriously need help so my polish doesn't keep lasting a day or less! 

Sorry it's so long! Thanks in advance!


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## kaitlin1209 (Feb 26, 2014)

Maybe the bonder you heard of was the Orly Bonder Rubberized base coat. If so, the Sally Beauty associates really should have known that!  

I think if you wait to let each individual coat dry before you start the next, it should eliminate peeling. I've also heard that temperature (as in the room temperature of where you apply, whether there is air or heat running, etc.) can affect how your nail polish sets/dries so that may be worth looking into.


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## Amby6912 (Feb 26, 2014)

Quote: Originally Posted by *kaitlin1209* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Maybe the bonder you heard of was the Orly Bonder Rubberized base coat. If so, the Sally Beauty associates really should have known that!  

I think if you wait to let each individual coat dry before you start the next, it should eliminate peeling. I've also heard that temperature (as in the room temperature of where you apply, whether there is air or heat running, etc.) can affect how your nail polish sets/dries so that may be worth looking into.  
Hmm....maybe that is the bonder? I don't know, the people forgot to tell me the name of it.

As for letting the coats dry, I always do that because I am terrible at denting or smudging my nails if I don't. I even thought when I started wearing nail polish again that letting each coat dry would help the peeling. I thought the polish was old so I got new polish, etc. No dice. And the room temp....I dunno. It happens no matter the time of year and weather the air is on or off, hot or cold... And heck, I can't even shower without it causing the polish to peel. So, do you know if the Orly Bonder works? Because man, I sure would love to find my HG product that lets my manicure last for a change!


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## chelsealady (Feb 26, 2014)

> Hmm....maybe that is the bonder? I don't know, the people forgot to tell me the name of it. As for letting the coats dry, I always do that because I am terrible at denting or smudging my nails if I don't. I even thought when I started wearing nail polish again that letting each coat dry would help the peeling. I thought the polish was old so I got new polish, etc. No dice. And the room temp....I dunno.Â It happens no matter the time of year and weather the air is on or off, hot or cold... And heck, I can't even showerÂ without it causing the polish to peel. So, do you know if the Orly Bonder works? Because man, I sure would love to find my HG product that lets my manicure last for a change!Â


 I use the Orly bonder. It works fairly well with my most of my polishes. And remarkably well with butter london and the Sephora X brand. I find that the best way to get polish to stay on is doing a coat of orly, a coat of polish, a coat of orly, a coat of polish, another coat of polish if needed, and then a top coat. It is worth a shot for you. Body chemistry is funny so what works for you might not work for me.


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## wadedl (Feb 26, 2014)

My nails do that too and sometimes CND Stickey helps. I say sometimes because if I rush, it does not work.


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## Lumaday (Feb 27, 2014)

I also use the Orly Rubberized base coat.  Since I started using it I rarely have chips or peeling.  It dries really fast too so it's easy to throw on before a mani.  I then do two thinner coats of polish and finish with Sally Hansen Insta Dry top coat.  I really hope you can figure out a process that works for you!  It sounds like there might be something reacting with your polish and body chemistry, but from what I know of the Orly it should really help the polish stick to your nails.


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## Amby6912 (Feb 27, 2014)

Quote: Originally Posted by *prettylights* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I also use the Orly Rubberized base coat.  Since I started using it I rarely have chips or peeling.  It dries really fast too so it's easy to throw on before a mani.  I then do two thinner coats of polish and finish with Sally Hansen Insta Dry top coat.  I really hope you can figure out a process that works for you!  It sounds like there might be something reacting with your polish and body chemistry, but from what I know of the Orly it should really help the polish stick to your nails.
Much appreciated to you and everyone else who's mentioned the ORLY. I'll pick it up next time I'm near Sally Beauty. I dunno what it is that causes polish to lift around the edges so dang easily. I always thought it was the polish I used at home until the stuff the salons used was doing it. The only polish I've ever used that didn't was Shellac (not gel, shellac even though they're practically the same, something about the shellac formula just works out for me) but like with gel, too expensive to do all the time. So, I'll give the ORLY a try. Do I just use it in place of a base coat?


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## Lumaday (Feb 27, 2014)

Quote: Originally Posted by *Amby6912* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Much appreciated to you and everyone else who's mentioned the ORLY. I'll pick it up next time I'm near Sally Beauty. I dunno what it is that causes polish to lift around the edges so dang easily. I always thought it was the polish I used at home until the stuff the salons used was doing it. The only polish I've ever used that didn't was Shellac (not gel, shellac even though they're practically the same, something about the shellac formula just works out for me) but like with gel, too expensive to do all the time. So, I'll give the ORLY a try. Do I just use it in place of a base coat? 
Yep, the Orly Rubberized is actually a base coat itself.  So just put that on clean nails first, let it try (only takes a minute) and then put on your polish. When it dries it almost gets the texture of rubber cement but much thinner, and it helps even out ridges too.


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## dressupthedog (Feb 27, 2014)

I had the same exact problem with my nail polish peeling for years. I also recommend Orly Bonder. It has solved the problem for me. Before you apply it, make sure that your nails are clean, and like others have said, make sure that every coat dries completely. I use Seche for a top coat. My polish has stopped peeling since I started using Orly Bonder. It's definitely worth trying.


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## Amby6912 (Feb 27, 2014)

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the responses! I've been at my wit's end with this whole polish peeling thing. I love painting my nails and am building my collection. So, next time I'm somewhere where ORLY is sold I'll grab a bottle Ruberrized stuff. I'm gonna also try a couple different top coats (an "acrylic" top coat for regular polish that's supposed to make your nails hard the way acrylic nails are) and some "Gelous" gel top coat (again meant for regular polish but it makes it like gel polish). They were both recommended so we'll see if those help. Even if they do, I'll definitely try the ORLY. Thanks again ladies! I knew you MUT gals would be able to help!


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## chrysalis101 (Feb 28, 2014)

Someone else above said it, I'm going to stress it again. Make sure your nails are clean before you start. That means, no lotion, no cuticle oils, no normal hand oils (for some people this is ok, for others they just make too much hand oil and it can be a problem). Go to the bathroom, wash your hands, take off your old polish, do another wipe with polish remover (jut to make sure they're totally clean), then put on your base coat. When your nails are set, then put on your cuticle oil and lotion.


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## Amby6912 (Feb 28, 2014)

> Someone else above said it, I'm going to stress it again. Make sure your nails are clean before you start. That means, no lotion, no cuticle oils, no normal hand oils (for some people this is ok, for others they just make too much hand oil and it can be a problem). Go to the bathroom, wash your hands, take off your old polish, do another wipe with polish remover (jut to make sure they're totally clean), then put on your base coat. When your nails are set, then put on your cuticle oil and lotion.


 I highly doubt my nails can get any cleaner unless i took like bleach to them (which of course would be very bad). I don't even touch lotion or cuticle oil until my top coat has dried. I don't let nail techs at salons put lotion or anything on til after my nails are done. So I don't have any clue what it is that causes it. I just know my nails weren't this way until about last year when I stopped biting my nails.


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## Monika1 (Feb 28, 2014)

Another couple of thoughts:

1) When you go to the salon do they soak your hands before they do your mani? For many, this is a nice relaxing part of the process. But you might have nails that naturally absorb a lot of water (more than the average - honestly this can happen to anyone) so when they apply the polish after 'drying' your hands and nails, your nails will gradually dry and shrink. Then the size difference between the polish and your nail will be sufficiently large that the polish no longer adheres. Based on your description I'm thinking this is a very real possibility.

2) Given you go to the salon, I would say a bit of shuffling of finances/diy vs salon might make it possible for you to get and LED light, iff that is what you want. I would have the gel polish done a the salon once to make sure you don't have the same problem with gel polishes. If it's all good with gel polish, then: very decent LED lights are now available easily in the $30 to $60 range. Bottles of gel polish last a very long time. If you bought an LED light, and a simple set of (bonder/primer), base-, and topcoat, you could do your own nails by doing a gel polish base, and using it as your base to apply regular polish for several weeks.

Good luck with this!


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## Amby6912 (Feb 28, 2014)

Quote: Originally Posted by *Monika1* /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Another couple of thoughts:
1) When you go to the salon do they soak your hands before they do your mani? For many, this is a nice relaxing part of the process. But you might have nails that naturally absorb a lot of water (more than the average - honestly this can happen to anyone) so when they apply the polish after 'drying' your hands and nails, your nails will gradually dry and shrink. Then the size difference between the polish and your nail will be sufficiently large that the polish no longer adheres. Based on your description I'm thinking this is a very real possibility.
2) Give make it possible for you to get and LED light, iff that is what you want. I would have the gel polish done a the salon once to make sure you don't have the same problem with gel polishes. If it's all good with gel polish, then: very decent LED lights are now available easily in the $30 to $60 range. Bottles of gel polish last a very long time. If you bought an LED light, and a simple set of (bonder/primer), base-, and topcoat, you could do your own nails by doing a gel polish base, and using it as your base to apply regular polish for several weeks.

Good luck with this!
1) I'd read about the whole "nails absorb water" thing in my search for why the polish did the weird peeling thing. The thing is, yes, the salon does soak my nails. At home, however, I do not. Still, both at home and salon manicures cause the peeling around the edges as though my nail has grown out, only it occurs within 24 hours of polishing my nails.

2) I don't do gel polish enough to justify the cost of an LED lamp at any price range. With doing the gel base with the lamp... that, for me, just won't justify the cost because if I also did the gel top coat then I'd have to let the regular polish dry for 24 hours otherwise it could still be slightly wet under the gel which is bad for the nails. I looked into that initially when I considered trying gel at home and realized how expensive it was. So, I'm just gonna hope the ORLY Bonder base coat works the way everyone here says it seems to!


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## Monika1 (Mar 1, 2014)

Quote: Originally Posted by *Amby6912* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  1) I'd read about the whole "nails absorb water" thing in my search for why the polish did the weird peeling thing. The thing is, yes, the salon does soak my nails. At home, however, I do not. Still, both at home and salon manicures cause the peeling around the edges as though my nail has grown out, only it occurs within 24 hours of polishing my nails.

2) I don't do gel polish enough to justify the cost of an LED lamp at any price range. With doing the gel base with the lamp... that, for me, just won't justify the cost because if I also did the gel top coat then I'd have to let the regular polish dry for 24 hours otherwise it could still be slightly wet under the gel which is bad for the nails. I looked into that initially when I considered trying gel at home and realized how expensive it was. So, I'm just gonna hope the ORLY Bonder base coat works the way everyone here says it seems to! 

Too bad the simple water explanation isn't it! It would have maybe had a simpler solution.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> I hope the Bonder base coat works for you!

Gel is an option for some, though I absolutely respect that you don't consider it reasonable given the cost and usage, etc. For reference for others who read this who might have similar issues with getting regular polish to last on their natural nails (and I also might not have been entirely clear in what I was saying), I'd emphasize that you wouldn't need to wait around to top the regular polish with gel topcoat. The whole point of using the gel would be to change the nature of the surface onto which you apply regular nail polish. By using 0) a gel system primer/buffer (not needed with some systems), 1) a gel base coat, and 2) a gel top coat, you now have a different, smooth (once cleaned with alcohol), gel polish top coat surface onto which to apply regular polish. You can then 3) apply your regular polish, followed by your regular top coat. Done. If I had nails that didn't hold regular polish and the gel strategy worked, I would just make a habit of keeping the gel base &amp; top coats on the surface of my nail. I would apply and remove regular polish at will (every day/3 days/every week as my mood and state of the polish supported) with non-acetone remover. The gel base would just be there. Then when the gel base grew out to the point where too much nail was exposed near the cuticle (likely every 2 weeks; possibly 3 weeks if your nails don't grow fast), I'd remove the gel (base/top coats) and re-do it. In this scenario I'd be using the gel polish system quite a bit, but only so I could apply regular polish and have a good result. (Of course I might in that case also be eventually tempted to get some gel polishes to try...)

The Orly Bonder is a much simpler solution, so in your case absolutely, I'd try that.

I happened to be personally interested in gel polish, so I got a system a while ago. For me, a regular base coat, polish, and top coat combination works, the longevity is acceptable (maybe a chip and some tip wear on the third day; sometimes I'm lucky and it holds just a bit longer), and I can fix minor issues with a touch-up if needed. But my chips occur because the nail beneath isn't super - some peeling, and weakness at the corners of the tips, usually. I like the idea of just a little bit of reinforcement, and my nails are quite a bit sturdier with the gel polish base and top coats beneath. So using the gel beneath is fantastic in that I will get to day 7 with only minor tip wear. I still use regular polishes.

I haven't personally tried the Bonder, so I look forward to hearing how it works for you!


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## DivaSaurusRex (Mar 2, 2014)

I personally find if the polish is too thick it will lift on me. Doing thin coats of opaque polishes has helped me. I still find my nails will peel if I do more than around four or five thin coats. This includes the base and top coat. I love the super thick glossy top coat but I have given up lol  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## Amby6912 (Mar 2, 2014)

So, I bought some ORLY Bonder and painted my nails Friday. It's Sunday and so far, no peeling! I even took a very long, very hot shower this morning and it held up. I did chip a small part on one nail but I was using it to try to open something so that's why that happened. Nothing a touch up didn't fix. So, I think the Bonder may really be my HG manicure product! Thanks everyone!


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## Monika1 (Mar 7, 2014)

Glad to hear it works for you! That's great news.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## kaitlin1209 (Mar 7, 2014)

Quote: Originally Posted by *Amby6912* /img/forum/go_quote.gif

So, I bought some ORLY Bonder and painted my nails Friday. It's Sunday and so far, no peeling! I even took a very long, very hot shower this morning and it held up. I did chip a small part on one nail but I was using it to try to open something so that's why that happened. Nothing a touch up didn't fix. So, I think the Bonder may really be my HG manicure product! Thanks everyone!

So glad it seems to be working!! I really swear by this stuff.  I went on a trip two years ago that spanned London/Paris/Florence/Assisi/Rome in the course of 11 days and I researched a base coat that would keep a nail polish PUT throughout that whole time.  I used the Orly Bonder, an Essie purple color, and the Revlon Quick Dry top coat and that polish did not chip that entire trip.  It's seriously a miracle.


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## Lumaday (Mar 7, 2014)

Quote: Originally Posted by *Amby6912* /img/forum/go_quote.gif

So, I bought some ORLY Bonder and painted my nails Friday. It's Sunday and so far, no peeling! I even took a very long, very hot shower this morning and it held up. I did chip a small part on one nail but I was using it to try to open something so that's why that happened. Nothing a touch up didn't fix. So, I think the Bonder may really be my HG manicure product! Thanks everyone!
Soooo happy to hear that!  I love the Orly bonder too, I rarely get chips and if I do it's because I open something or am wearing glitter and used too many coats.

It also lasts a really long time.  I've been using mine for a long time now and still have half the bottle left!


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